Animated advertising device for cars.



L. A. MOLTENI. ANIMATED ADVERTISING DEVICE FOR CARS. APPLICATION nuzn MAY 14;.1913 nguzwan OCT- 25. ms.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

"ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

iHIII-IIIIITF m RE WITNESSES ATTORNEYS L. A. MOLTENI.

' ANIMATED ADVERTISING DEVICE FOR CARS. APPLICATION FILED MAY I4. 1913. RENEWED ogr. 25. I916.

1,21 9,839. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

'2 SHE TS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE LOUIS A. MOLTENI, OF HOBOKEN; NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM E. GILLESPIE, 0F HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

ANIMATED ADVERTISING DEVICE FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters' Patent. Patented luar. 20, 1917.

Application filed May 14, 1913, Serial No. 767,539. Renewed October 25, 1916. Serial 'No. 127,687.

to provide an advertising placard or sign in which the animated or movable element is actuated by the momentum of the vehicle in starting and stopping, and by the vibration while running.

The invention has for its other object the provision of a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character which is composed of few parts so designed as to be embodied in a cheap placard and which will be at the same time ofdurable and substantial construction.

Specifically, the invention has for its object the suspending or mounting of the ani-' mated or movable element in such a manner that the stopping and starting of the car will cause the element to move back and forth, and bound and rebound a number of times so as to attract attention.

lVith these objects in view, and others as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a front view of a portion of an advertising placard with a face thereon, and in which one of the eyes is animated;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the placard;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken vertically through the device;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of a modified form of advertising placard;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section thereof; and

Fig. 6 is a further modification, showing the means whereby the motion of the movable element is utilized to produce .motion in various advertising contrivances.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, 1 designates a placard such as is commonly used in street car advertising. In the pres- ..ent instance the front of the card contains suitable advertising matter in connection with the fictitious face of the moon with one eye open and the other closed, the open eye being in reality an opening 2 extending entirely through the cardboard of which the placard is made. movable element or slide 3 that bears the representation 4 of an eye. This slide 3 is in the form of a plate bearing flat against the rear surface of the card 1, and centrally suspended by flexible elements or e-lastics 5 and 6 extending vertically above and below the slide 3 and anchored respectively at 7 to the card 1. By means of these elastics 5 and 6 the element 3 can move back and forth in a horizontal line so as to carry the eye 4: from one end to the other of the eye-opening 2. On the ends of the slide 3 weights 8 may be provided to increase the inertia, and

guiding and stop devices 9 are applied to the rear side of the card 1 for guiding the movement of the element 3 and limiting its up and down motion incident to the jolting of the car. The placard is mounted in the 'car or other vehicle so as to be parallel with the line of motion, in'order that the-starting and stopping of the vehicle will cause the element 3 to shift back and forth. When the element 3 shifts to one side of its central position the elastics 5 and 6 are placed under tension, which serves to cause the element 3 to rebound to the opposite side of a central position, andthis bounding and rebounding continues for a greater or less duration, according to the intensity of the jolts or vibrations for the starting and stopping of the car.

In Fig. 5 the movable element 10 is suspended by a pendulum device consisting of a cord 11 anchored at its upper end at 12 to the rear side of the placard. On the lower end of the cord is a roller weight 13 movable back and forth in a guide 14. Since the placard when positioned in a car is inclined, as shown in Fig. 5, the roller weight will always be in frictional engagement with the rear side of the placard, and under the momentum of the roller weight during the starting and stopping or jolting Behind the card 1 is aof the car, the weight will roll back and forth after the fashion of a pendulum and cause the animated element 10 to move back and forth in synchronism, the said element 10 having on its front face eyes 15, or their equivalent, that are exposed through open ings 16 in the placard.

It is possible to employ asan actuator for suitable mechanism the element that by its own momentum is moved back and forth by the stopping, starting and vibration of the car. Such arrangement is shown in Fig. 6, wherein the momentum or inertia element 20 is suspended by elastic devices or springs 21 and 22. A rod 23 is connected with the reciprocatory element 20, and this rod carries a pawl 24: which rotates step by step the ratchet wheel 25. This ratchet wheel in turn produces oscillatory movement of a lever 26 through a link 27 connected with the lever and ratchet wheel. The motion of the lever 26 is utilized in the present instance to cause liquid to rise and fall in a bottle 28, which is employed to constitute the animated feature of the placard. This bottle is exposed through an opening 29 in the placard and is connected by a' flexible tube or the like 30 with a liquid container 3l.which is raised and lowered by the lever 26, with which the container is hingedly connected at 32. In this arrangement the bounding and rebounding of the momentum element 20 causes the ratchet wheel 25 to rotate step by step, and-the wheel in turn gradually raises and lowers the receptacle 31, and in so doing the level of the liquid in the bottle 28 consequently changes. The bottle will bepreferably made as thin as possible in a plane parallel with the face of the placard, so as not to take up too much space. Of course, it will be understood that numerous other devices may be employed to give animation to an advertising placard, and the several methods shown are only illustrative.

From the foregoing description taken in.

to which the invention appertains, and

while I have described the best embodiment thereof I desireto have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and

that such changesmay be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters the placard is subjected, and fixed guiding means on the rear side of the placard and with which the member is adapted to engage and be guided thereby.

2. An advertising placard comprising a card, a cord fastened to the card, a roller weight connected with the cord, and a member forming an animatedpart of the placard connected with the said cord.

3. The combination of an advertising card, an animated element associated therewith, a cord to which the element is attached, the upper end of the cord being fastened to the card.- at a point above the element, a roller weight secured to the cord at a point below the element, and means on the card for guiding and limiting the movement of the weight.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' LOUIS A. MOLTENI.

Witnesses:

THoMAs PAISLEY, WILLIAM E. GILLESPIE. 

